Guide to roleplaying
This guide serves as a comprehensive guide to roleplaying (RP). RP servers are roleplaying servers, incorporating the best aspects of the game. As such, its nice to have a loose selection of guidelines to go by. What is Roleplaying? Remember when you were little and you used to play dress-up or "pretend"? Roleplaying is the adult version of that game. Roleplaying is a way for people to express themselves and their creativity while having fun at the same time. Roleplaying was popularized with Dungeons and Dragons, a pen-and-paper (PnP) RPG. Since the dawn of the computer age, roleplaying has shifted from board games to video games. Roleplaying in an MMO is vitally different than roleplaying by yourself, as there are as many rules as there are people. However, there is a general consensus of the rules of roleplay, which have been laid out in this guide. Given the extremely mainstream/"vanilla" nature of World of Warcraft, (at least when compared with earlier games) aside from on the RP servers, genuine roleplaying is not something you will see in this game often. Although the game has an economy, Blizzard's minimisation of the "virtual world" aspects that characterised Ultima Online in particular is probably the single main factor that has enabled WoW to become as mainstream as it has, and roleplaying is part of that. On RP servers, roleplayers have a marked tendency to be shy and reclusive towards the general server population, with the vast majority of roleplay taking place in guild or party chat. General and Trade channels are usually considered out of character by default, (particularly Trade) although making juvenile comments in the public channels will not improve your reputation. The more serious roleplaying servers also have a tendency to attract a more mature overall population, with individual roleplayers also consisting almost exclusively of adults. Thus, for players who take the game more seriously in general, learning to roleplay can offer major in-game social benefits. Different Types of Roleplayers Anti-Roleplayers These players will deliberately go out of their way to ruin your immersion and experience, in game and out. They do so by forum trolling signified roleplay posts, spamming /say and emotes (oh god /dance) during a roleplay session or other annoyances that distract from your roleplaying experience (Spamming various spells, and giving no ic responses when eyebrows are raised at their naked dancing). Basically, the AR is the kid knocking over sand castles at the beach; they can't be bothered putting effort into building something up, so they'll feel better if they destroy someone else's work. While the AR seeks to show some kind of superiority to get you to buckle, ignoring their subversion is the best response. Find a really big rock and build your sand castle around it. Or go tell your big brother (blizzard). You could always just treat them like an ooc object, and act like they're not there and their fire spells and raining arrows aren't actually raining down upon you. After all, they're not roleplaying. See also: Bhiggo's Guide to Proper Reporting Example: 2 roleplayers and an AR waiting for a zeppelin '' Blue:'' Vhy we going to stranglethorn again? You know Ih hate ze umidity! Anti-RPer: omg.LOL Indifferent to Roleplaying These players seek neither to create nor destroy other peoples roleplaying experience. Some that fall into this category may want to roleplay, or at least experiment from time to time this guide is mainly for you. Others may be content to stay under the radar at all times, keeping their chat within the rules stated by Blizzard and enjoy the server purely for the PVE and PVP. Then there is a percentage that leans back towards the ARr, not openly sabotaging roleplay but holding disregard for it. Example: Blue is opening lockboxes in Orgrimmar '' Blue:'' Ah, yis, lets see what zis lockbox holds for you good troll (opens box) IndifferentRPer: thanks IndifferentRPer /goodbye emote Light Roleplayer Ah, this is where it starts to get fun! Welcome to the first tier of playing a character. Light roleplaying is when you start to modify your responses to seem more appropriate for your character. Light roleplay usually involves characters that are very similar in personality to you, as to take some of the complexity away from the experience. To some people, this is a good balance between what is enjoyable without being pedantic. The characters motivations are more or less the same as your own, but with a twist. Out of character chat is not uncommon or looked down upon, party/raid chat is best left OOC. At this level, some players may choose to take up an accent appropriate for race. This is especially easy if you are a Troll, Dwarven a little harder, and other races don't have a specific direction for accents. As far as advancement in the game, RP never takes precedent over your enjoyment of the game as a whole, so if you want to go ganking or farm some instances, you do so. However a light RPr will usually have a somewhat believable motivation for doing so. Example: A rare sword drops in SM which the player really needs Troll: Hey, this sword would be great for me mon, make things much easy for me. Example: Player is questioned why they are grinding the same mobs over and over Troll: Well, I simply ate dem raptors mon. Example: Player is asked why they attack Alliance or Horde on sight Human: I hate the horde, they invaded us in past wars / They harbour the forsaken / They are scum that deserve to die / They have no honour Medium Roleplayer A bit of a step up, here are some of the differences to a light roleplayer. Medium Roleplayers usually have a back-story for their character that explains their past. This past helps to define the character in present and future actions. Medium roleplayers with accent classes will likely adopt it (or a suitable back story to explain otherwise), and speak mannerisms may be developed; Maybe an unusual accent, way of punctuating or getting a message across. Out of character chat is usually indifferent to a MR, but always denoted by (()) or OOC: . Raid and party chat will be either in character or sparse/to the point as possible as to not break immersion too much. A character may be different, or an aspect of the players personality they wish to explore. Players often choose to ignore names above heads, meaning a proper introduction is required to know who someone is, just like in real life. Medium roleplayers may start to shun areas of the game that do not agree with their character. Example: Group of 4 is looking for a paladin to tackle SM (Paladin being invited) '' Group leader:'' Hey there, you want to come to SM? '' Paladin:'' Sorry, no, my father is a serving member of the crusade, and I won't take arms against him. '' LightRPer:'' Oh dear I see, take heart paladin, we'll avoid anyone that looks like you. IndifferentRPer: that's cool man, cya later. '' Anti-RPer:'' wtf? come 2 SM u dork, dnt u need that shield? Example: Friend from old realm comes on to try new server with old PVP friend '' Human:'' Hey Tiberius, good to see you again, can you start me up with some silver? MediumRPer: Err. How did you know my name, I've never seen you before! You must be a spy, huh? Get the hell away from me before I kick your head in! MediumRPer: (( Hey mate, good to see you J heres 1g, sorry my character is an asshole (?) :P, play along and see! )) Using ((information)) to convey OOC information in IC channels is up to debate; be aware many roleplayers consider it to be highly inappropriate or at least amateurish. Whispers or forming a Party are a much safer way to communicate OOC Heavy Roleplayer This is where roleplaying takes complete precedence over any aspect of the game. A player will not engage in player killing unless there is a motivation to. A player will probably not even run unless in haste. Every word that leaves the character's mouth belongs to that of the character, the player behind is probably a completely different person. Immersion is paramount to the heavy roleplayer, as their entire enjoyment comes out of this. A heavy roleplayer will not stand for ARs, and even IRs to a degree. A heavy roleplayer is forced, even at the worst of times, to play as their character. Out of character talk is very, very sparse, always at least denoted by ((double brackets)); often whispers or party chat. A heavy roleplayer will not use the general chat channel. It is not uncommon for a HR to not use guild chat or any other long distance forms of communication, as this distracts from their immersion. A heavy roleplayer will always have a backstory, a clear sense of character, and a strong intention on future for a character. A HR character is ever changing, making their mark on the world and letting the world mould their character. Example: HR night elf walks by every type of RPer in Stormwind '' HeavyRPer2(night elf):'' Darnassian Ishnu alah '' HeavyRPer(night elf):'' Darnassian (To you too) '' MediumRPer(human):'' Ah, an Elven in Stormwind? What does this man owe the pleasure? '' HeavyRPer:'' Hello human brother, I'm meeting kin in the park, good day '' LightRPer(dwarf):'' Hullo elf! '' HeavyRPer:'' /em scrunches up her nose at the dwarf '' HeavyRPer:'' Errm... good day IndifferentRPer(gnome): Hey, can you open this lock? '' MediumRPer:'' Hmmm, I am in no great hurry. Why not, let's have a look at it. (lock pops) '' IndifferentRPer:'' woot! Its a 12slot thx '' MediumRPer:'' Huh? You sure speak funny, gnome '' IndifferentRPer:'' wat? '' MediumRPer:'' /huff, never mind, good day '' Anti-RPer:'' its faster to run, press the / key '' MediumRPer:'' ... '' Anti-RPer:'' /dance '' MediumRPer:'' .leave me be '' Anti-RPer:'' lololo The MediumRPer files a report. General Information About Ingame Chat and Forums So, there is a basic guide to the types of roleplaying, and it's easy to see why MR/HR may not get along so well with the antis or indifferents. So, what point do we draw the line for RP servers? What is the acceptable amount of roleplay for someone to undertake? Verbal/Physical Harassment Targeting Role-Players This category includes: * Players that specifically target role-players for verbal/physical abuse (not limited to offensive language). If a player is found to be targeting role-players with the specific intent to harass, he/she may: * Be temporarily suspended from the game. Out of Character (OOC) Discussion and Use of General Chat Detailed below is the language policy enforced on the Role-Play servers. Use of the /ignore command is also highly encouraged. * The General Chat Channel should only be used for finding Storylines (SLs), finding Party Groups, and various other discussions pertaining to the Base Storyline (BSL), game-related topics, and continuity. * The General Chat Channel should NOT be used for any "Off-topic," Non-Storyline, or non game-related discussions. * Absolutely no out of character (OOC) or non-fantasy related dialogue should take place in the /Say, /Yell, or Party chat channels. * Guild Chat will not be policed for any fantasy related violations, except by the guild. * All normal harassment rules (which can be found here) still apply. Examples of appropriate conversation in the General Chat Channel: * "Would anyone like to join a Rogue Specific SL?" * "What happened to the Well of Eternity?" Examples of inappropriate conversation in the General Chat Channel: * "Did you see that new movie?" * "My sister just bought a new car." If a player is found violating any of these rules, he/she may: * Be given a warning. From the indications above, the indifferent roleplayers that respect the above rules have right to be here. It is just a subjective point as to when an indifferents action affects the immersion of the more serious roleplayers. The important thing is to make an effort, no matter how basic it is. The best way to roleplay is to be active! While standing around waiting for a boat, tell your neighbour how much you hate orcs or your IC mother-in-law. While selling items, try using your accent in the trade channel. While questing/instancing, start arguing with your warlock pet! Being proactive is the best way for you to enjoy roleplay! If you are standing in a crowd of 10 people waiting for that boat, there is a very good chance someone will reply. But, while being proactive, make sure to be a good listener too ;) Everyone loves to be paid attention to, pay attention to your fellow roleplayers and they will love you for it! A good tool for roleplaying is MyRolePlay (MRP). It's in beta but is taking over the RP community by storm. You can set your flag (status) to "Looking for RP" among many other things, such as your title (Zerun the Magnificent), house name (Lethn of the House Darotan), middle- and surnames, weight, height, mood, colors, description (Lacking an eye - not Lacking an eye due to being ravaged by a gnoll in her youth, since how would an outsider know that?). MRP is considered the replacement to the older RP addon FlagRSP. Want to write a backstory? Good stuff, get an idea together while on the train to work and when you're ready, post it up on the forums! People who wish to roleplay further may reply to your story or look out for you. Posting roleplaying on the forums As some of you may have seen, there are some denotations swimming around, here are some, * ((OOC)) a roleplayer needing to explain something ooc, * ((FFA-IC)) anyone may add to this discussion IN CHARACTER only * ((OPEN-RP)) an open invitation to join a crafted series of events or roleplay * ((Closed-RP)) a closed peak at other peoples stories, you may not add but you still may enjoy the drama. Character Creation In World of Warcraft, character creation is as simple as pointing and clicking. In roleplay, however, its always better to have a detailed history of your character, whether it has been written down or just sits in your head. The creation of your character is an important first step in any role-playing game. There are certain things that are imperative to know when you're creating a character for WoW. The Basics Gender Do you want to role-play a male or female character? There are advantages to either. This is mostly a personal choice. Most people tend to stay with their own gender - at least for their first character (!), although there are many people who cross-gender roleplay. Name What's in a name? A lot, actually. Your name, oftentimes, is the first impression another player will have of you. In a roleplaying server, like ED is, a name like Twinkforu or Imapriest are often frowned upon. A good way of deciding if your name is appropriate is to picture your character in a real life scenario. Would a parent name their child Imapriest? Ultimately, the decision is up to the player. Keep in mind where you are playing, however. Under character names, some people find a simple search around a baby names site useful if they're stuck on what to name a character. The following are useful sites: * http://www.20000-names.com/ (Searches names) * http://www.babynamesworld.com/ (Searches meanings) * http://www.lowchensaustralia.com/names.htm Fantasy names: * http://servut.us/akx/names/ * http://seventhsanctum.com * http://rinkworks.com/namegen/ Personality Having a vague idea of your character's personality is always good. Personality is how your character reacts and responds to certain situations. Is she mean, or is she kind and benevolent? This choice will affect your gameplay, seeing as your evil warlock will not likely give a discount to that cute gnome mage, not matter how much you like the gnome mage out of character. Personalities often conflict, which is normal. Don't expect everyone to get along, just like in real life. However, don't bring your in character (IC) drama out of character (OOC). Alignment Alignment is usually used in Dungeons and Dragons and other related games, so it isn't of much relevance to World of Warcraft. Your character's alignment is a general stereotype of their personality. The usual alignments are lawful good, neutral good, chaotic good, lawful neutral, true neutral, chaotic neutral, lawful evil, neutral evil, and chaotic evil. Wikipedia has a good (as always) description of each. **WARNING!** You may need a degree in quantum physics to understand this article Roleplaying "Good" Playing an essentially "Good" character may seem as easy as opening your eyes, but as with other alignment classifications, there are some points that need to be remembered. They can be as difficult to role-play believably as villainous characters. They don't necessarily have to be huggy, kissy, warm-fuzzy type of people. What defines a character as being good is how they work to achieve the goals they have established within their role-play. Example: There are three essentially good characters interacting in a role-play that revolves around rescuing a kidnapping victim. The Defender - This character seeks assistance from honorable characters that they have contacted with to deal with the kidnapper. Using all methods within their power that don't cause internal conflict caused by of issues of conscience, they work to affect the return of the kidnap victim and the bringing to justice of their kidnapper. The Interloper - This character seeks out the kidnapper for negotiation, working toward a settlement that will keep both sides in the dispute content and safe. They may be seen at times as acting in their own best interests during this work, as they go back and forth between the kidnapper and those who seek the victims return appearing to be working toward the goals of each. The Rash Thinker - This character is prone to rash actions to affect the kidnapping victims return. They may gather a small group from among those they trust to seek the kidnappers hideout and steal the victim away from them. This type of character has a greater chance of seeing violent conflict from their actions, although they are working for the same results as the previous two dreamers. Roleplaying "Neutral" Neutrality is the ability to not take sides in an issue or event, regardless of personal feelings. This type of character can be seen as cold and indifferent in their actions and need others to look deeper to really get to know them. They are focused mostly on their own goals that do not impact others, making them appear greedy to some. Some neutral types are very dependent on those around them at the time. Examples: * The Chameleon - this type of character blends into their surroundings. Mostly to observe whats happening around them and generally wishy-washy. They can be an almost constant presence, to the point where most people ignore them. * The Recluse - this type of character is often seen as a hermit or anti-social. They keep to themselves as they work toward their goals, often hoarding what they learn instead of sharing it with others. Often, this type of character is where lost knowledge stories originate. * The Mediator - this type of character is often called upon to mediate disputes between others after they become known for their neutrality. They can take the information provided them and look at it evenly, as they have no preference of one side over the other. Neutral characters see all of those around them equally, whether as useful for gathering information from, a source of irritation that keeps them from working on their goals, or a complete nuisance that they would rather be without. Roleplaying "Evil" There are just as many adjectives for evil: dishonorable, deceptive, abusive, cruel, immoral, and more. As with any character, an Evil character is not necessarily at his worst, most foul and antagonistic behavior at all times. Being of an Evil disposition only means that the capacity for these things is always there and that they may know no limits to the depth of their depravity. This means that an Evil character can be charming, cooperative, and for all appearances a nice guy. But its a façade that is not likely to last long unless the character is particularly determined and capable of maintaining such a deception. Some examples of villains: * The Conformist - he thrives by taking advantages afforded to him by whatever system is available to do so, almost equating what is legal to what is right and proper even when it is legal to seriously harm another. After all, if it weren't right and proper, the law should be changed, and since it hasn't been changed, it must still be right. * The Intellectual - he probably does not consider himself to be evil, but almost certainly considers himself to be intelligent, wise, shrewd, and on the ball rather than foolishly concerning himself with the welfare of others as those idiotic dopes that speak of the common good are concerned. Often, this type of character thinks of themselves as naturally superior to others, their own needs coming first, and the needs of others coming much further down the list. * The Overlord - he is concerned only with his own goals and nothing else. Only those things that with strengthen him and push him towards that goal are important and he will pursue that goal with any means possible. He hopes to bring himself to a position of power, glory, and prestige. Playing a villain will never grant a player license to break Blizzard's rules of conduct. Being "evil" is not a valid excuse for randomly collapsing or harassing others; and one of the most difficult aspects of upholding an "evil" character is ensuring grudges stop at your character. Don't get angry with others for their responses to your character, because they too are taking a logical role. Tips for the Villains Before making an evil character you should realize it can be more difficult than others, make sure you have a good idea beforehand of what your characters goals are. You most likely wont get far roleplaying an "evil" character if you cant make any friends. Allies can be beneficial even if the character doesnt use violence or warfare to exact his evilness. Lastly make sure to be convincing, in general not many people are evil. Define your character as being one of those unique few and you'll have a great time. Just remember that the Good Guys usually win. What makes you a villain? Most characters don't just decided on a whim that they want to be evil. This should stem from your characters history and not the players desire. Be unique. Some-thing that is not often seen, or that people fear or misunderstand is often labeled "evil". Go against the grain. This means speech and mannerisms as well as appearance. * "Evil is in the eye of the beholder." So you want to be evil to some - not all. Perhaps even most, but always have a way out. If you don't, you're setting yourself up for the fall. * Focus. Know what it is you want to accomplish. Be open to change. Nothing stays static for too long. If it can go wrong, it will. Plan ahead. Might does not equal malevolence. You can have the biggest chakram, an infinite DreamSoul elemen, and a whole slew of offensive arts, and are still just a thug. * Violence does not equal villainy. A politician in power can be ten times more corrupt than a convicted killer who acted in self-defense. Destruction isn't always the answer either. Hostages present a much more complicated situation than simply planting a bomb. * Crime is not always the best avenue for those of the dark alignment. This is especially true in Underlight. Be creative and find other methods to achieve your goals. * Morality is important. Most evil doers have compromised moral values. Either they're working for themselves and don't think the rules apply to them, or they're working for the common good but don't understand whats appropriate and whats not. * The end can justify the means. You're playing WoW the way you see fit. If a few souls get lost along the way, what is that to compare to the lives you'll save after the fact? You can either end up the hero or a martyr if you're not careful. * Remember that you didnt do anything wrong if you didnt get caught. And the more people that support your side of the story, the less likely you are to be labeled a "threat" to society as a whole. * Set standards. Be prejudice. If you think one way, then others are misguided or utterly wrong. They're either agreeing with you, or they disagree with you. Don't be afraid to stand up for what you believe, and teach it to those impressionable Newly Awakened. * Honor is for the dead. The difference between a hero and a fool is luck. The difference between a coward and a corpse? Stupidity. Live to fight another day. * Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. Never let them see it coming. A good villain always has his/her ace in the hole; and usually the joker as well. * Don't be afraid to ask for help in your endeavors. Just be careful what you wish for. Minions are just that. People will work for reward before friendship. Greed can be good motivation. Remember that if they see a way to use you as a stepping stone, they will. Especially if it gives them what you have. * Take small steps at first. Test the waters. You cant be bad until you know what good is. * Trademarks. If it's been done, it's probably been done better. Find your own path, and let that aspect be yours and yours alone. Make yourself memorable. * Achilles' heel. Every bad guy has one. Illness. Disability. Pangs of regret. Love for family. A persistent obsession. Maybe this is what drives your character. (For undeads, most people seem to test the "no feelings" aspect.) * Turning over a new leaf. Evildoers don't make many friends. When it becomes unbearable, there are always other options. This also makes an incredibly good smoke screen. * Don't be invulnerable! Sure, capture the heroes, make them watch you describe your master plan...but if they come up with some ingenious escape method, and disrupt your evil ritual of world domination, take it in your stride...don't just ignore it! It gets very annoying when you shield yourself with magic...again. And again. And again. Mary Sues One main risk in creating a character is creating a Mary Sue. There are many definitions of a Mary Sue (This might help give you a better idea). A Mary Sue is basically a character made with more idealization than logic, so perfect you want to kill them or try to steal the spotlight with their drama. Mary Sue has what we'd all like in a real person - niceness, a wide range of skills, charm, attractiveness - but not a fictional one. Mary Sues are usually kind, righteous, have a heart-string-yanking past, more skills than they should and are prone to godmoddling. They might be propped up with 'interesting' traits, such as having a 'curse' which only serves to enhance their abilities, a lineage involving a canon character or a hybridism of different species. Mary Sues or their traits tend to annoy other roleplayers by being cliché (Most people have seen and heard of the sons and daughters of Illidan or half-demon/demon-possessed people), impossible lore-wise (vampires do not exist in Azeroth), attention-grabbing (a character that was beaten up by their whole family that is still happy and cheery, but occasionally cries on the shoulder of a handsome stranger about it) or just plain over-the-top (a character that is part demon, part naaru and part goldish with laser eyes). These kind of characters are highly disliked, so you should strive to avoid them if you don't want eyes rolled at you. * DO NOT make a half-vampire son/daughter of Illidan. It's been done to death, impossible lore-wise, and no one can pull this off without being blacklisted, unless of course your character fries up in the sun and tells no one of their relation. No seriously, it just isn't going to work. Don't have a character with a relation to lore figures, unless of course it is commonplace for their species. * You can have a character with an angsty past, skills and beauty that isn't necessarily a Mary Sue, just cliché. Watch how you roleplay them. Don't dodge everything, don't use your angst past as an excuse for your actions and only tell close ic friends your secrets. * Give your character flaws. No one is perfect. Embarrassing habits, disabilities and the occasional cruelty can make for a much more interesting character. * Stick to your character's flaws. Don't suddenly wipe away their arachnophobia when they go to the Ghostlands and get jumped by a crypt fiend, or else your character's flaws won't count. * No character in logic would brag about being the secret lovechild of Illidan or some other big villain. It would be like saying "I'm the secret son of Hitler!". No one likes Illidan. Hardly anyone would believe you. Characters would think you were crazy, and you'd have no proof of such relation. * Let your character make mistakes. Don't blame all wrong-doings on 'I couldn't control myself' or 'My rainbow dog named Pockleberry died last Tuesday and I've been feeling very upset'. Someone who admits they were wrong and doesn't try to make it look like they were right all along is much more believable and noble. * The world does not revolve around your character. No character will ever be the centre of all roleplayer's attention, everyone's friend, the biggest hero of all time and only the enemy of two-dimensional villains. Trying to grab everyone's attention by speaking of your drama will only do the opposite. * Even a mean character can be a Mary Sue villain if everything goes their way. Signs of such a Sue are a mass murderer that never got caught, having an angst past or vengeance to try and excuse their actions or being unfairly unbeatable. * Avoid having a hybrid character, or at least make them believable avatar-wise. * Let your character fail every once in a while. Don't make them invincible. Just because someone types 'Picklejuice swings an iron bar at her' instead of 'Picklejuice smashes the elf's brains with an iron bar' doesn't mean you get to dodge it all the time. Someone trying an attack doesn't necessarily mean it missed. * A better way to roleplay is to give attention rather than try to draw it to your character. Instead of trying to draw attention from the crowd with your rainbow eyes or that pet scuttling about your bag, go and strike up a conversation with another character. * Watch you don't commit . It can become annoying to other roleplayers if you continue to use magic, some plot you made up on the spot in the situation or otherwise to escape a predicament. If your character beat up someone and now has said-person's big brother coming after them, don't run, face the consequences. Who is Your Character? Who is your character after all? There are many things to consider while making your character. Before you actually begin to roleplay, you must consider other aspects, such as: Who is this character? What drives him? What makes him respond to different things in different ways? A character background or history can answer most of these questions. The key to a character history is to ensure that your creativity fits within the boundaries of the environment you wish to play in. These are a few general questions to help shape your character: * How and where did your character grow up? * Does he have family? Where are they? What do they do? * How old is your character? Who are his friends? * Has he ever been hurt? Has he been in love? * Is he happy? Is he sad? * What are his morals? What are his ideas on honor and respect? On stealing and lying? Expressing Yourself to the World You have this wonderfully rounded out character, you know what he feels, what he likes, where he comes from, and what he looks like. Now to decide how he acts! Within WoW all actions are performed with emotes that allow other characters to see what your character is doing. It would be impossible to display graphically the wide range of movements and actions possible to characters, and emotes try to address this problem. Simply put, emotes are visible actions or physical descriptions. World of Warcraft has a massive amount of predefined emotes, as listed on the Emotes page. Some of these are animated, and some are textual. The real power of emotes comes from custom emotes, as done with the slash commands /em or /me (the latter originating from IRC). Emotes are not for giving information, for showing what someone is thinking, nor for communicating OOC information. Anything you say or any actions your character takes must be within character. A good emote describes a physical event or action while allowing other characters to participate. Other characters cannot usually see "thoughts" or motivations, so emoting these will limit their opportunities to respond. Keep in mind when creating emotes that you need to leave room for a person to respond. If you want to punch someone, you "swing towards them" or "lunge rapidly". This allows the other player to decide whether or not his character gets hit. Do not "god-mode", where you give the other player no room to respond. Good: "You swing your axe at the orc." The orc has ample time to respond, by dodging, grabbing the handle of your axe, kicking you off your feet... the possibilities are limitless. Bad: "You hack the orc's arm off with your axe." The orc has lost an arm, is suffering massive blood loss and now needs to find a First Aid specialist. The possibilities are few. Proper Emotes There are some ways to emote that just don't fit within WoW's emoting system. All emotes are done by the third person. An example would be: * Kailea looks down at her leather boots, disgusted by the dirt and grime that has accumulated. * Kailea looks down at her boots. They are intricately carved with runes rumored to protect against shadow magic. Both of these emotes are similar, yet different. The first emote is an action emote, detailing the action a character is performing. The second emote was a descriptive one, meant to give greater information about an object or character. It's impossible to do "pure" descriptive emotes without addons (no such addons have yet been written), that is, for example: The boots are ragged and are missing scraps of leather from here and there.. One way to use emotes that would not normally fit in the WoW emote system is to put || before typing the emote. For example: "Kailea || The boots are ragged and are missing scraps of leather from here and there." Improper Emotes These cover the gambit from OOC, forced actions, to showing thoughts. Don't do them. * Thrall thinks Arthas is a moron and pulls his pants down. * Bulgok dislikes Sklar. * Mimi thinks M&Ms are good. - M&Ms? A new gnomish invention? What does it do? * Johnny brandishes some Gnomish Patties. '' Various Roleplay Ideas The following are various ideas that can be played out by the use of extensive emotes. * '''Zoomaster/Petting zoo owner' Collect pets and set up a small scale petting zoo for people to enjoy! * Poet/Minstrel One of the most fun characters to play, you get to be creative, writing songs and poetry and have people *gasp listen to you! * City Tours Become a lore expert and take people for guided tours of the city. Leaves a lot of room for creativity! * Ghost Tours Similar idea to the previous, except with ghosts! Maybe get your group to party with you, and have a friend go in ghost form for them to be chased by. * Hunting Trips Are you a seasoned hunter, or just a fan of the big game? Don't have to be a hunter to enjoy the sport! * Safari Run a safari service by yourself or a few friends. Take people for tours of the barrens and its inhabitants. * Fortune Telling Another really fun one, you get to tell people what is going to happen in their lives ^_^ * Psychologist/Councillor Listen to peoples problems all day and try to diffuse some of their anxieties (Good for a priest. Tried this. ~~) * Odds-n-ends collector / Trader Hey, don't throw away that grey item! One man's trash is another's treasure. Show off your.okay lets face it, trash. * Hair stylist Okay, you cant graphically change someones haircut, but half of roleplay is suspending your beliefs and just playing along :P Edit: With the new barber shops with Wrath of the Lich King, this one will be much easier to pull off. * Hypnotist Now this would be a fun one. I am dying to try on an alt :P * Games master Spend all day coming up with and hosting games between people, maybe try to get an actual chess game going using KnightB2-C5 style? Perhaps your character is a master at something, and has attitude. * Saint/Samaritan Perhaps its part of your characters persona to help people in need, maybe under influence of the light? * Graveyard Keeper So many graveyards in Azeroth, and who is there to look after them? Sell flowers and keep those shields upright as you keep the places of mourning. * Real estate agent Elect yourself master of real estate in Ironforge! Sell (I use that word carefully :P) the houses to couples, take them on inspections and even hold auctions! Proof of ownership may be a problem however. * Circus performer A clown, high wire or master of beasts? Show off your freakishness by performing at the darkmoon faire perhaps? * Comedian This one is tricky, but if you can pull it off, you'll get lots of love! Write up some jokes and draw in a crowd in Orgrimmar or Stormwind. * Garbage Collector So much litter around the trade regions, sweep around people, avoid the hobos and keep Azeroth clean! (Can run into some interesting encounters with hobos, business owners, estate agents?) * Party Liaison People have parties and weddings all the time in Azeroth! Why not be a service to these people by getting in touch with all the entertainers, finest chefs, comedians, fortune tellers and the like to book for peoples events? Great for PR! * Mailbox Digests Start your own digest magazine by yourself or with a few friends and get subscribers! Maybe run some riddle competitions, try to make a word find in a letter, or run stories on interest. (There have been some really successful ones at this. ~~) * Expressionist artist (in angst!) D#@!& your character in shades of grey and black, and wander around stormwind pondering modernism, industry and that undead rogue stabbing people behind you. * Gypsy Start your own folk collective by yourself or a few friends, engage another culture completely foreign to your native one by becoming nomads of the land, with a fondness for campfires, dancing and singing. * Deviant Dealer People from some walks of life need a fix, sometimes in no other form than deviant fish! Treat them as a banned substance, make your shady deals out the back of cut throat alley away from the guards! * Speech therapist / accent expert Become a master of the various dialects and speech mannerisms of azeroths inhabitants. From the ey mon, to the RAAAAAAAARG me smash undead! To the muuuuruurururggghhh of a murloc! * Dockmaster Become the chief official of the docks of Menethil, or the zeppelins of Orgrimmar, providing regular /yells about departure and arrival times. Name the ships yourself, make your office the unused ship, and keep your cloak smelling of salt and gin! * Holiday Agent Some people want a holiday? You know where to go (and in what season!) provide packages with the safari, hunters clubs, organize a tour, or maybe just a quiet night at a bed and breakfast owner. * Bed and Breakfast owner Maybe you own a nice house in the middle of no-where and like to treat your guests with the best hospitality one can provide. Bookings might need to be essential.so you're there. * Masseuse Your skills as a master masseuse are needed! Heroes return to battle with knots, aching joints and a high heart rate. Offer them some creature comfort for a few copper coin. (You could offer some... other private services with this as well. Don't know whether it's against the EULA, though. ~~) * Animal rights protectionist Everyday a critter is molested somewhere in Azeroth. Start your plight by the protection of chickens and rabbits, maybe even the level 50 owls.. Diseased grizzly bears? * Private Investigator Investigate strange happenings outside the official channels. Work with SI:7 for assignments, or go renegade. * Homeless Bum Hey, its no big deal, most of us sleep in inns at night! What of those people who sleep in the middle of Orgrimmar? Perhaps you take it a step further, harassing the deviant dealer and garbage collectors. * Astronomer Study the heavens and talk with others, such as the fortune tellers, astrologists, magazine editors and the like about your findings. * Town Crier Those overpaid bums walking around the city, spouting news only the council wants you to hear about! Send forth reports of distant war with your fellows, keep up to date on great auctions, even some gossip? * Peace Activist / Hippy We may be on a PvP server, but why not roleplay a peaceful attitude? Roleplay yourself being strapped to trees in stonetalon mountains, and try talk that undead rogue out of gutting you. * Master chef its one thing to have 300 cooking skill, but something else entirely to create your own wonderful masterpieces! Use the forums, letterbox tabloid to give directions on making dishes such as, Stuffed elven ear, Chicken soup, Boochy steak! * Tool Trader'''People always need that extra arclight spanner, a spare hammer or a replacement pickaxe becasue the old one is broken, so why not sell these things to them, for the right price of course. The fourth wall/meta-gaming In the theatre, the fourth wall is an imaginary wall around the stage through which the audience watch the show. The idea is that this wall separates the two worlds. A common example of the fourth wall being broken is when a character directly addresses the audience, such as a character in movie talking directly to the camera. In roleplaying, the fourth wall is there to separate the characters from the mechanics of the game, but also from information they couldn't possibly have. This is more typically described as meta-gaming. Examples of fourthwall breaking/meta-gaming include: * '''References to character statistics Characters do not know that they have a crit rating of 33%, not do they know that they have 3000 health points. These figures are part of the game mechanics, not the lore. * Unusual knowledge of world events It's unlikely that a human born 20 years ago would have an indepth understanding of events that took place 3000 years previously on the other side of the planet. Even in modern times, most people have a very limited knowledge of world events beyond their immediate circle. It's more realistic for your character to know little of most events, or to hold a distorted version of the story. For example, how would your character have precise details of the fight between Arthas and Illidan? It's unlikely that either Arthas or Illidan would be in the habit of telling people what happened and your character wouldn't have witnessed it. * Knowledge of the future As expansions are launched, some players make the mistake of endowing their character with knowledge of future events. For example, a character knowing that the dark portal was going to be opened and that they would meet the Naaru, prior to the portal actually opening. Rumours can be an effective approach, but claiming definitive knowledge of the future is bad. If your character has knowledge of a major world event, ensure that there is a plausible way in which they could have learnt of it. Players often react negatively to characters who just seem to know too much, and they risk being considered a Mary Sue. Groups/Clubs/Guilds Many of these ideas could be performed best with group of over three people, whether as a social occasion between friends, open invitations to all to join as a club, or a formal thing as a guild, give some of these ideas a go. * Boxing club Start up a (drunken) bare fist fight club. Get all violent and personal with your buddies. (You shouldn't talk about the club. ~~) * Church services Conduct a regular sermon and pray amongst peers. Crimson Alliance (some guild?) may do this if. * University Elect yourself dean after creating a university! This worked great on my old server, study such things as arcane, botany, biology, human sciences, politics! * Acting troupe We all roleplay characters. Ever thought of roleplaying a character in character?! Replay great dramas such as Hamlet, or put a modern twist on them such as LOLio and Juliet. The Capulets and the pwnz0rs. * Surf, Turf n beer Crew Conduct a regular excursion to a pub, order some beautiful tender wolf steaks, lobster and stout. Discuss whatever! (And harass waitresses.) * Rebels On many PVP-RP (and RP) servers, a small minority of people want to keep the Treaty between Thrall and Jaina Proudmoore intact. Easy to do with two side-by-side computers for 'translating' languages, but fun to do with emotes regardless! * Hotel / Concierge Maybe one of the places in Ironforge is transformed into a 5 star inn! Dinner is served, you, your pet and entourage of luggage are looked after, completely at your leisure. May keep close ties with the masseuse, chef and garbage collectors. Oh, don't gasp too hard when the 5 gold (or more) bill comes though! * Linguist A group of people might want to create their own language? Or the study of many languages, like mentioned above. * Lore Experts Become a master of your race's lore, study with friends and hold conferences. * Botanist So many plants in Azeroth but no classifications! Have excursions into Stranglethorn Vale, study the decay at Felwood. Name the plants after your king! * Mountaineering group So, Ironforge has the Explorers' League huh? For some reason the gods look down apon mountaineering, or, finding places no-one has ever seen.Maybe you can get away with it roleplaying, because it is fun ^_^ * Player run bar A big thing on my old server was the player run inns at the park in Stormwind. Get a regular happening going, people will drop by for a drink and a roleplay! * Newspaper editor Using either forums, webspace or IG-letter system, write a weekly report on the happenings of Azeroth. Maybe even get some takings from advertising? * Philosophy group Warcraft raises some interesting philosophical issues, you respawn after you die from spirit healers, what does that say about pain, death and ambitions for life? * Cat owners club *shrug*, for cat fans. People might like to run their own cat shows with the various types. * Bird watchers Ever notice the birds flying overhead? Get a small group to study the various kinds! Traits Character traits these ideas are very heavy, but hopefully will inspire to make your character stand out from the crowd, or to play with the concepts. * Imaginary friend Self explanatory! Warlocks talk to their pets all the time when they are supposedly phase shifted * Addict Maybe your character has an addiction to something? * Clean queen An obsessive compulsive character? * Narcissists Your character loves themselves a bit too much? * Vertigo Character has vertigo? * Can't swim/afraid of water some traumatic memories from the past cause this? * Masochist Your character likes to ummm, hurt themselves? * Schizophrenic Or other disorders that make your character stand out, Trade Who says you cant roleplay making a buck? * Drug Dealer! You've seen the addicts, and bloodthistle's becoming a pretty popular drug, especially in Silvermoon City. (Well, on Moon Guard, at least!) Become an herbalist, run around Eversong and get yourself some bloodthistle to start, and then deal it out for just a little more than vendor price. Profit and good roleplay to boot! * Inter-faction trade organization Organise to trade stuffs across the lines with your enemy. * Fashion designer Make your goods stand out by vigorous campaigning to have your brand name recognized! May require some propaganda. The Gucci of leathergoods? * Farmer Nah, just kidding. Don't roleplay a farmer. (At least not in the gold-for-money farmer sense.) Character Development To say that all characters (and for that matter, all people) are good or evil would be an oversimplification. Firstly, evil characters usually do not consider themselves to be "evil", and may actually consider themselves to be "good". These characters may believe something is "right" and defend it in a fanatical way. (See the Scarlet Crusade.) They may appear "evil" to opponents, who she conversely perceives as misguided or "evil." Their actions may be caused by insanity, by their foul temper, or by their belief that the ends justify the means. Alternatively, a character with "evil" or selfish motivations may perform so charismatically that others believe he or she is "good." There are many shades of grey and dark grey in every personality, and it is important to remember that your character's motivations are key to creating a believable persona. Character Consistency Character consistency is one of the hallmarks of great role-playing. Here are some tips to consider when playing your character: * Stay in character as much as possible. The more you get out of your character, the harder it will be to get the right mood back into the game. Now, this may not seem harmful, but ruining a mood can ruin a roleplay. For more information, see the section on out-of-character traps. * Events from the game will influence a characters demeanor, attitude, and in some cases, its personality. Even heroes can be affected by the tragic death of a loved one. Make sure that these influences are reflected in (minor) changes in your character. * Once you've made a decision as your character (or about your character!), stick with it, and live with the consequences. As long as you're roleplaying, it could prove for some interesting twists in your character's life. In a roleplaying game, reversing a decision usually harms the game. Character Separation One of the greatest challenges for all role-players is maintaining a healthy level of separation from your character. Here are some things to keep in mind: * You are not your character. If a character attacks or insults your character, don't take it as a personal attack. It's fine if your character reacts, but don't start taking things personal. * It is easy to base your first character in a game on your own personality. Most new roleplayers do it, but experienced roleplayers fall into the trap as well. Make sure that, if you do this, its just a small base, because the more of yourself you pour into a character, the easier it is to feel any attack on that character as a personal insult. * Remember that its only a game. You can stop playing any time you want, for as long as you want. OOC Traps The main key to role-playing is, of course, staying in character. It may be necessary to go Out-of-Character (OOC) briefly when explaining a technical aspect of the game to a new player, or when pinning down a standard time to meet. It is important to remember that every time you go OOC your character credibility and the role-playing atmosphere suffers. Be careful not to fall into some of these OOC traps when playing the game: * Do not mention real world events and items. Beepers, Star Wars movies, Oompa Loompas, mace (not the dreamer, the spray), Gumbi, and spell checkers do not belong in Azeroth. * Also consider Information Separation: ** Player A chats with you on ICQ (or for simplicity's sake, whispers you): "Oh man, Sorsha just totally dissed Blenson! She made him cry!" This sounds like an interesting thing for you to see, but wait! How can you? Your character does not know what has transpired. You want to go ask the questions that will get you the answers, but you have no IC reason to do so, even though it would make for interesting role-playing. In game information learned through OOC means is still just that OOC. Separate it. Even though you do want to comfort poor Blenson. ** Also, your different characters do not implicitly share information. Your NE priest has no way of knowing that the guild leader of your troll mage's guild just resigned. * Stick to your character, no matter what... ** Is your character truly more concerned with turning in his latest quest to his trainer than finding out why his house crumbled? If so, why? ** Does the game (world) truly seem so uninteresting that the best thing for you to do at all times is sit around and mope? If so, why? ** Do you make a habit of ignoring people that seem distraught and confused? If so, why? * The driving question is always why. Why would my character do this or think this? Why? If you can not answer the why, then it is not an IC action or thought. Why would Sklar flatter her? She is a woman. Why would John be nice to Lady Arlington? He wants her cloak. * Don't break the fourth wall. This is a tricky one to explain. Basically, don't use terms like AFK and level in ic since these do not exist to the characters. * Don't blurt out your life story to everyone you meet. It's common for new roleplayers to tell their entire life story to everyone they meet, or to tell strangers about their tragic past. When this happens, conversation sounds very unnatural and scripted. Credits *This is a nice understanding of a RP server. Some people off of my old server of Emerald Dream wrote this. Thank you all at Emerald Dream for coming up with such a fantastic piece. --ManO-iGO, 18:26, 9 May 2006 * I took the liberty of editing, proofing and augmenting this article. After all, it's a wiki. --Akx * Ditto. --Dashade Credit where Credit is Due This is nothing more than a slightly-edited cut-and-paste from the Underlight RP FAQ: Category:Guides Category:Roleplaying